Ceri Race, Gubbio, Umbria
May 15 annually
Lying at the foot of Mount Ingino, amidst the natural and artistic beauty of Umbria, Gubbio is a charming town that grew over the ruins of Iguvuim, an ancient Umbrian city under the Roman Empire. Protected by a solid medieval wall, Gubbio contains public and private buildings, churches and craft-shops (ceramics and embroidery are particularly reknowned), squares, arches, and tiny streets. Its museum contains the Iuguvine Tablets, seven inscribed bronze tables written in the original Umbrian language and in Latin that date back to the 3rd century BC. All these ingredients put together create a magnificent scenic effect. The town is attractive and full of marvels. Only by visiting it is a tourist able to relive its thousands years of history and the vital forces which helped create it.Nevertheless, Gubbio is a place where life still has a human dimension.
Ceri Race
Every year on May 15th, on the eve of the anniversary of the death of Gubbio's patron St. Ubaldo, Gubbio honors an ancient tradition: the Ceri race. The Ceri are three colossal decorated wooden structures, weighing more or less 700 pounds apiece, surmounted by the statues of three saints: St. Ubaldo, protector of construction workers, St. Giorgio, protector of businessmen, and St. Antonio, protector of farmers and students. Each Cero is carried by 10 bearers that carry the towers on their shoulders from the historic part of the town, through the winding streets, up the arduous slope of the Mount Ingino, to the summit where the cathedral of the Saint patron stands. Every few miles the bearers change so that a lot of people get the chance to participate and share the burden of carrying the heavy Ceri. The Ceri are followed by a cheering, joyful crowd, making this one of the most colorful and exciting religious festival in all of Italy. It's forbidden for one Cero to surpass the other, and the winner is the one who closes the door of the cathedral first. If you are not a religious person, you still shouldn't miss the race because it is also a great representation of Italian folklore.
Directions
By Car
From Milan, Florence and Rome - Take the highway A1 and exit at Valdichiana.
Follow the Terentola-Perugia route and exit at Chiusi-Chianciano.
By Train
There are daily trains from any major train stations: Roma-Fiumicino, Firenze-
Santa Maria Novella.
Other Festivals
| Copyright 2005 © Italian Cooking and Living |